Finding Light in Dark Places [Luxe]

[Scapeh]

The warmth filled my lungs as I took in the oxygen around me, boasting from my bodice, my markings flaring out from my chest against the sooty bay colour, a bright and bleached-bone white. I closed my sea-blue orbs against the light of the sun, the orb in the sky bursting down upon my pelt as the waters lapped at the golden sands. I tilted my head down to the grasses below, opening my orbs to gaze upon the flowers there, watching the bees turn upon the petals and move from one bouquet to the next. My nares flared to take in the sweet and salty scent of the petals, gently brushing against the soft and smooth skin of my maw, the pink and grey colours blending with the pink of the petals, satin against my lips. I turned my head to the grass to the side and took in a taste, letting the crisp and salty tang rush over my tongue. It was strong, yet somehow also delicate. It must be the flowers around that made the blades so pleasurable.

My banner flicked against my rump, the dark strands creating a swishing rhythm akin to that of the waters not so far off. My head came back up on my boa, eyes searching my surroundings. I could have sworn I had heard something... My audits swiveled and I tried to gather the tone, but I was met with silence. I saw nothing, heard nothing. I was all alone, and yet...

I called out in barrel tones, sweet and charming, imploring and polite. "Hello?" I did not exactly expect and answer to my white mask of a face, but I wanted to be sure. It was such a pleasurable place, and I did indeed crave company. My audits swiveled as I tried to interpret the sounds coming to me. Nothing but the wind and the waters, lapping eagerly at the sands so close to my daggers.

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Word count: 326
Notes: Short, but I think it's a good start. I'm happy to see where these two might go. ^.^

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[Zsadist]

The land was strange. Wherever land she was now smelled similar to Adocolus, but had a musk that reminded her of something that was lodged deep in her mind. A small flicker of a memory that she couldn't pull from the creases of her mind. Whatever she was trying to remember wasn't something all that significant, she assumed, but for all she knew she could be terribly wrong. The world was all blurred together now. Not that she remembered much of it anyways. Deep in her heart, she hoped to the Creator that she would piece things together again soon. She hated not remembering.

Somehow she had managed to wander over from the cliff-like land known as Adoculus without killing herself. That was a feat in itself. She had never stumbled across such unruly territory in her life, nor could she remember the last time she had ever been so unsure of herself. She cursed herself for being blind, then shoved the uneasy feeling away. This land was much smoother, in a way. As she moved forward, she relished the feeling of not having rocks, pebbles and boulders beneath her hooves. Now, there was cool sand pressing against her frogs and blossoms brushing against her canons. She thought it was odd that flowers existed during the winter, but she wasn't about to question it. After all, flowers made for a much softer fall.

She plucked her way carefully, taking one cautious step after another, keeping her wings held slightly aloft for balance. Her head was lowered, muzzle snuffling for any odd scents. A rock clicked against a hind hoof and danced off to the side, settling somewhere out of her way. She lifted that hoof and turned an unseeing eye upon it, sending it a mock glare with a heavy snort. "Stupid rocks, always in my way..." she spat quietly to the object that was no longer there. Then she heard a word which startled her. Surely it was not the rock speaking. Unless she was going crazy. However, she doubted she had lost it to the point of hearing inanimate objects speak.

That hind hoof plopped back upon the ground with a muffled thump, followed by her head snapping to attention. She lifted her skull to the sky, pricking her ears as aleart as they would go. Snapping her wings tight against her sides, she gave a flick of her long tail and inhaled deeply. She felt silly for not noticing she was alone, especially seeing that she was down-wind. She should have smelled him. Her hide itched, telling her to run. Fly. But the someone didn't sound like a threat. She knew better than to throw caution to the wind, however. She kept her ready-to-flee stance, not knowing exactly where the male stood, as she replied with a seemingly cheery, "Hello, stranger!"

Word Count Approx.: 510

[Scapeh]

I had just about given up on hearing anything other than the winds and the water when I heard sweet tones come from behind me. I turned my head upon my boa so that my white face could take in the beauty. I felt a grin spread upon my maw. No wonder I had not hear her before or seen her, she had been just out of sight, among the rocks, and the sound had reverberated, I supposed, throwing off my ability to locate her exact stance. She seemed cautious however, and I made loud and deliberate steps towards her so that we could carry on more proper conversation, black banner swishing back and forth. Glad to have some sort of company.

I stopped a good distance away, none so close to be too friendly, but enough so that we shouldn't have to shout. I snorted softly, taking in what I could of her scent through my nares. Ah yes, definitely delicate and female, elegant and sweet. I liked it. But at this distance, I noticed something. She could not look directly at me, and I knew this because I could not see her eyes. Well, for all intents, I could clearly see her orbs, but her eyes were obscured by a milky cloud. She didn't seem to have any scars about her features, and this made me wonder. Was she born in such a manner? Had she never known the world? Either way, it explained why her stance was as so. She could not tell if I was some young handsome thing or if I was a towering brute ready to tear her limb from limb. I smiled softly, dipping my head, tones becoming silky and sweet, calming and gentle.

"Pardon me, miss, I don't mean to frighten you in any way, but I can see that you're blind. I find it very brave of you to walk alone in such a way. I know that I would never be able to myself." I shivered my pelt against the sunny breeze, tossing my mane slightly off of my neck to get the cool air underneath the blanket of heat that it created against my skin. "If you would like, I would love to assist you over to where I was grazing. Lovely grass and flowers, smooth sand, and no rocks for you to possibly catch yourself on."

I tilted my dial, waiting for any sort of response from her, and I took in her appearance. She was young, I could tell, yet strong, the most prominent feature the feathers protruding from her shoulders. And yet she held herself with grace and poise, as if she was more than easily aware of the world around her. I smiled a little more. She surely was strong and brave for acting as she did, truly not knowing where she was or whom she was with. I admired that. Hell, I admired that in any equine, but in a woman, it was priceless.

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Word Count: Roughly 525

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[Zsadist]

Yes, the being was definitely male. If the scent didn't give him away, then his voice definitely did. She had never heard a female with a voice like that, anyways. That would just be too odd. The mare took up a wide stance upon hearing the male shift closer. She ignored her mane and tail twisting about her limbs as the breeze entangled them, leaving all of her focus upon the approaching stallion. Part of her wanted to run away, to not risk the danger, and the rest of her wanted to stay and confront this smooth-talking creature. No. No! She wouldn't run away. She wouldn't back down. Not this time, and never again. Not if she could help it.

He spoke in a gentle manner, yet she didn't find it comforting in the least. Her plumes, tucked tightly against her slender frame, bristled like a threatened cat. She felt like she was being goaded, in a round about sort of way. Though perhaps that was not the right word to describe the situation. Either way, she wasn't sure if he was talking to her this way on purpose, or in a completely innocent manner that she was spinning way out of proportion. Yet she continued to bristle as if she were once again a foal that was being made fun of for being different.

Of course she knew she was blind. It wasn't that hard to figure out. At least she hadn't fallen on her face yet, completely embarrasing herself in front of this stranger. She felt somewhat insulted by his offer to assist her. What, did he think she was incapable of doing things on her own? She snorted and her ears flickered back for a moment. "I can do it myself, thank you very much." she said tightly, snapping her wings flush and smooth once again with a sharp flick of her head. She raised her wings up, using the wind to aid her movements. Her steps became light as she moved forward, ever so slowly as if she were truly a deer instead of a horse. She lifted her legs high, remaining proud even though she might be making a fool of herself.

It took a few moments, but she made it without any harm done. When the scent of the male became stronger and she could all but feel his presence and breath upon her coat, she halted. "Told you so." A simple statement. She folded her wings again and flicked her tail unto the sky in a mock defiant manner. Her inner foal peeked out for a moment, making her somewhat playful, yet completely snarky at the same time. She had only just recently become an adult, though she couldn't remember doing so. At five years of age, she still had much to experience in the world. And this was just one more thing to help her along, even if she ended up not liking it in the end.

Word Count Approx.: 532

[Scapeh]

I tilted my head, staying where I was while she retorted. Obviously, in some sense, I had offended her, and true, she had every reason to be as such. After all, the way I had gone about it, while careful, obviously wasn't careful enough. So she must have thought me some kind of trickster who wanted to charm her and then take advantage of her. I snorted softly. Never. I would never take advantage of a woman, much less one who seemed so defenseless. But as she moved forward, I was proven wrong. With her wings slightly extended, I could see her delicate steps, though proud. She walked as if she had walked these steps a thousand times before. For a moment, she was not blind, she was a young girl, trying to prove herself. She was proud, and strong, moving with grace and confidence. I smiled softly, admiring the way she moved, a gentleman in the aspect of how I looked upon her. One could admire such beauty without being overcome by lust.

I chuckled when she came to a stop, retorting in her snarky tone which rung playful deep inside. My pelt shivered against the sun, my tones deep and happy as I replied to her. "So you have, so you have. You've proven me wrong. I apologize if you thought I wished you any ill. I'm used to old world care and, even if you had your sight," I could almost see past the milky clouds to see her intelligence shining, perhaps she had once held beautiful blue orbs, much like my own, but perhaps brighter, and more crystalline. Yes, I could see it, and I smiled a little more, dipping my head. "I would have made the offer. Come, we should enjoy each other's company." I paused, waiting a moment to get the feel of her. She wasn't necessarily skittish, no, that was far from what she was. She was cautious, yes, but not skittish. And she had a fire to her heart that made her glow. She may have been young, and had a disadvantage that only the enemy saw, but she was destined for great things. What others saw as weakness was really a gift. She could see the heart, undisturbed by appearance and lies. She could see the soul of those with whom she spoke and interacted with.

I tilted my dial, audits twitching atop my head as I stepped back and moved to her side, being very careful while I stepped, keeping my eyes on her. "My name is Horus Tarkus, though Horus is just fine." I dipped my dial down, forelock going into my orbs, covering the white mask of my face, shielding me from the sun's bright rays. It was a force of habit. She may not be able to see the slight bow, but perhaps she would be able to determine it from the way my voice shifted and moved, where it was coming from. I wished to know this girl, to become friends. She seemed rather pleasurable, and I wanted to know who she was, where she came from. Her story would fascinate me, I was sure. "It is absolutely my pleasure to meet a lovely figure such as yourself."

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Word Count: 541

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[Zsadist]

This stallion was odd. That was the only way she could think to describe him at the moment. He spoke as if he were old. Very old. It made her think somewhat differently of him, though she had only met him just a few moments ago. You very well couldn't judge someone you didn't know, or just met for that matter. Besides, the only things she would have to go by is sound and smell. She could only go by the aroma of his being, and the inklings in his voice. It wasn't much, but at least she never at the chance to judge him at first glance like everyone else. Like everyone else always did to her. Being blind made her helpless, being pure white made her stand out, and being a Hybrid disguised as a Pegasus made her quite the abomination.

Her ears quivered when she pulled herself from her thoughts. She cocked an ear as she listened to him move beside her, calm, but ready to take action if need be. Though her current company seemed friendly enough. She wouldn't let her guard down just yet, however. "Hm, apology accepted. I suppose I can allow you to accompany me, since you have only been so kind." She nodded her head but once, "Shall we?" Her legs carried her forward, slowly as usual, with her large wings out to balance her. Not as if she was looking for some place to be, but more because she could not bear the thought of standing still at the time.

It's as if something was propelling her forward. It wasn't the wind at her haunch, no. It was something within her. Something that, of course, she could not remember. A hidden cause that she wasn't sure if she would ever remember. But that was a thought for another time. She was beginning to figure that she was thinking these negative thoughts to often. She would remember if it was the last thing she did. "Alright. Horus, then." she paused her words for a moment, tipped an ear back to note if he had followed or not. She would feel like a total oddball, more than usual, if she was talking to herself. "You may refer to me as Luxe, seeing as that is my calling, of course. And I must say, I have never received such kind remarks from any such equine in my entire life. I am not quite sure what to think of it." That didn't count the times her father had doted upon her with such pretty words. And she wasn't about to mention that she was basically hidden away her entire life. She had only known the world so much as she had come to know since her father's death. That wasn't going to change, so she had to make the best of the moment.

Word Count Approx.: 523

[Scapeh]

I watched as she lifted up her feathers, giving herself more balance, and I tilted my dial, stepping a bit to the side to allow her room. I followed behind her slow steps at an easy and gentle pace, allowing her to go at whatever distance and ability that she felt was right. When she started to speak again, a smile tipped at my maw. She was a fiery one. I liked that. It was a gentle spark, one that showed that while she was trying to prove herself brave, she really wasn't. Not as much as she liked to show off to me right now, anyways. It was charming in it's own way, though. Her dial tipped around to find me, and I knew that she was trying to make sure I had followed. Of course I had.

My banned flashed behind me and tapped against my rump as I came to a still at her side once more. I snorted softly, alerting her to my presence so that she would be able to find exactly where I was. I gave a quiet chuckle in response to her comments. "Well, Luxe, you certainly deserve to hear such things from someone as humble as I. Surely you have heard plenty of it in your days. And if not, then surely there shall be more to come. After all, you are only in the spring of your youth. There is still yet much to bloom and flower from you." I smiled softly, shaking my mane out from my neck, trying to cause a breeze against my flesh which was heating from the sun already.

"You seem like the kind of young lady who had a very noble upbringing, and I admire that. A lady with fire and spirit. There aren't enough of them around here, I would say. Too many very willing to bow down to the first Sire that comes along and simply let him be her knight. Oh, but not from you. I like that. Very admirable, a woman who can take care of herself." I nodded, dark forelock flashing in front of my orbs as I watched her. I tilted my head down to the grasses below and nibbled a bit upon the blades, taking in the tang of them once more. My banner flicked across my rump, gently brushing against the side of her pillars. She would be able to tell exactly where I was from that, I was sure. As well as the breeze coming off of the water, bringing her my strong scent. What could I have smelled like to her? I wasn't entirely sure. I had never paid much attention to it myself, as I had never really felt a need to. Ahh, but that does not matter. I nibbled on the grass while I waited, keeping an eye on the young lady. She was really a delicate sight, like a moon flower first coming to blossom, the kind that must be protected, but nothing so much as that. She could take care of herself. Almost like a rose, with thorns made to protect the flower. Either way, she was a rare beauty. Luxe... I rolled the name over my tongue again, tasting every aspect of it with my mind. Yes, a suiting name for the mare. Very suiting indeed.


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Word Count: 556

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